As is known hydrocracking is a process by which large/heavy hydrocarbons are broken down into smaller and more useful hydrocarbons including paraffins and olefins. There are generally two methods of cracking namely thermal cracking, in which the heavy hydrocarbons are subjected to high temperatures; and catalytic cracking, in which a catalyst is introduced into a reaction mixture to enable cracking to occur at lower temperatures.
While the cracking of hydrocarbons is known, it is desirable to provide improved thermal cracking processes in which the formation of lighter olefins and paraffins can be effectively controlled in an efficient and continuous process. More specifically, it is desirable to provide a process in which the smaller hydrocarbons are efficiently produced at reaction temperatures between the cracking temperature and the carbonization temperature of a heavy hydrocarbon mixture while also continuously removing coke and sulphur from the reaction mixture.
A review of the prior art reveals that such a system has not been previously described. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,149 describes a method and apparatus for processing organic materials to produce chemical gases and carbon char; U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,530 describes a method for upgrading petroleum residuum and heavy crude oil; U.S. Pat. No. 1,677,758 describes the treatment of carbonaceous and other materials; U.S. Pat. No. 1,622,573 describes a coking still; U.S. Pat. No. 1,541,140 describes a process and apparatus for distilling and cracking hydrocarbon oils; U.S. Pat. No. 1,183,457 describes an oil distillation process; U.S. Pat. No. 1,231,695 describes an apparatus for refining petroleum; U.S. Pat. No. 1,418,414 describes a process of making unsaturated hydrocarbon material; U.S. Pat. No. 148,806 describes oil-stills; PCT/EP 01/11016 describes a process and apparatus for the fractional distillation of crude oil; EP 1 067 171 describes a process for removing contaminants from oil; EP 0 667 799 describes a method for selective and/or unselective vaporization and/or decomposition of, particularly, hydrocarbon compounds and an apparatus for carrying out such a method; PCT/RU 00/00097 describes a method and device for resonance excitation of fluids and method and device for fractionating hydrocarbon liquids; and DE 41 07 294 describes a cracking system.